Shining Stars

The Sport of Philanthropy is a publication created by social enterprise Champions for Philanthropy that highlights exemplary philanthropic endeavors and activism among professional athletes, teams and major sports leagues.

On April 13, Max “Blessed” Holloway lost to Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier in a fight for the UFC interim lightweight title at UFC 236 in Atlanta. However, Holloway embraced the loss like a true champion. Despite losing, Holloway lent his support to Poirier’s charity, signing and donating his worn gloves to The Good Fight Foundation, an organization started last year by Poirier and his wife, Jolie, to support those in need in their native Louisiana community.

Photo: The Good Fight Foundation

By auctioning off the post-fight memorabilia – including hand-wraps, hat, shorts, shirt and a Reebok jumpsuit – the 30-year old Poirier raised funds to build a playground for disabled children at Prairie Elementary School in his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana. The live auction of the UFC 236 fight kit began on April 17 with an opening bid of $500 and ended on April 25 with a winning bid of $9,500.

"There was a kid named Aaron Hill who had a very rare brain disease called ALD, and his dream and wish was his school would have a playground the people in wheelchairs and people in his class can go have time and play on," Poirier stated. "He passed away before his dream became a reality. What me and The Good Fight Foundation are going to do is raise money through TheGoodFightGroup.com and auction off all my gear from this fight and get a playground built."

In addition to Holloway's contribution, American Top Team founder and owner Dan Lambert also donated gym fees from UFC 236 valued at more than $12,000 to The Good Fight Foundation. Among others, professional fighters Alan Jouban and Eryk Anders also contributed their gear to support Poirier's cause.

Poirier’s UFC 236 charity auction was not his first, however. The lightweight contender has raised funds by selling memorabilia at charity auctions on several occasions the past couple years. In May 2017, Poirier auctioned off his UFC 211 kits on eBay to provide 3,000 meals for the Second Harvest Food Bank in his hometown. Additionally, proceeds from the auction of UFC Fight Night 120 kits in November 2017 went to the family of deceased Lafayette police officer Michael Middlebrook, who was shot and killed in the line of duty.

Then last year, Poirier donated $4,000 to assist the Acadiana Outreach Center, an organization that provides housing and support services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. He also raised nearly $8,000 last summer to sponsor a classroom at Acadian Middle School, his and Jolie’s alma mater, and to provide 500 backpacks filled with a year’s worth of school supplies to the students.

Poirier has rightfully drawn compliments from the MMA community for his strong character and generosity, and his ongoing efforts to use his platform to make a difference in his local community and improve lives are clear indications of why!